Region

Residents in Aylmer feel "we are not even on the map" after devastating tornadoes

CTV Ottawa
Published Thursday, September 27, 2018 10:50PM EDT

Residents in Aylmer Quebec say they feel forgotten after being devastated by last week’s tornadoes.

Linda Giraldeau’s house and barns were destroyed on Chemin Perry.

Fortunately she was not home when the storm hit, “I drove around the back way, and thought I lost a tree, and then I saw my house… I lost my house,” she says.

She says only one municipal official has come to see the destruction.

“Nobody knows we are here,” says Giraldeau’s sister Chantal. “We have one person municipal who has been an angel. Other than that, the city, the federal, provincial, no one has come to see us.”

Chantal Giraldeau says it isn’t just about getting funding to rebuild. She wants provincial and municipal politicians to recognize what Aylmer residents have gone through. “We seem to be forgotten no one has come to see us. We have to go to them which I understand – people need help everywhere- we don’t see to be on the map.”

Meanwhile, dozens of residents have shown up to chemin Perry to help in the cleanup.

“i was shocked! I almost started crying. Because this is devastating for people!” says volunteer Lisa Bedley. She says not everyone even knows a tornado touched down in Aylmer. “I was talking to a few of my neighbours. And there were like what? And I was like yeah! I tornado went down chemin pink! We didn’t hear about it. Because there would have been a lot more people here helping her.”

Volunteers have brought food, a place to stay, clean clothes or anything else Giraldeau need.

She calls all the volunteers her angels. “They bring their own wheel bearer and they clean up my fields. It’s unbelievable I would never have imagined